CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3574, 6 August 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the City Council y/a? held last evening ; present —His Worship the Mayor f Mr Keith Kamsay) in the chair, and Messrs Barron, Beck, Carroll, Fish, Gibson, Grant, Isaac, Mercer, Prosser, Reeves, Walter, and Woodland. His Worship said he would embrace the opportunity to make a few remarks. The increased representation was a matter for congratulation. With the increase of Work, and the great importance of the interests to be conserved—such, for example, as the Waterworks—increased representation was a step in the right direction. It had been pointed out by some that the increase of the number of Councillors would be attended by an increase in the expenditure of public moneys; but Councillors, both old and new, should make their demands definitely, and the time had gone by when the patch-work system would meet the requirements of the City, and the financial position of the Corporation warranted them in executing large add permanent improvements. Another objection to increased representation was that the meeting of the Council would be protraeved, but if attention were paid to the Standing Orders, that objection would bo avoided. It was satisfactory to new membeis to knowthat they would go into the Council without the prospect of a fight oH the Waterworks

question. He had reason to believe within a few days the Bill to increase the borrowing powers of the Council would pass without opposition. The attention of the Council would be ealled to the adoption of a new Ordinance for the City. He would, in conclusion, make the observation that during his term of office it would be his earnest endeavor to discharge the onerous duties of the office to the best of his ability, and to maintain the bight dignity of the office. SALARIES The Mayor then left the chair, Mr Mercer taking his seat while the question of the Mayor’s salary was discussed. Cr. Walter moved that the salary be L4(R Cr. Beck seconded. - Cr. Fish had thought for the last seven years that the salary should be at least L4OO, always providing that the Council intend® 1 to give a salary at all. But he feared there was a difficulty in the way of doing this, through the wishes of the Mayor himself. If there was one virtue his Worship possessed it was that of consistency, and ef doing to himself as he would do to others. Mr Fish then read a renort of a speech of the Mayor, made on the Bth August, 1872, when he, then Councillor Ramsay, moved that the sum be L3OO per annum, and argued in favor of that amount. Now, Mr Ramsay having a regard for consistency, integrity, and uprightness, ought not to consent to receive an extra LIOO. The question of the Mayor’s salary Mr Fish thought should be permanently fixed, instead of coming up yearly. He voted for the L4OO under the impression that from his Worship’s consistency he would receive the larger sura as a custodian of the Council, to hand the difference over to the Benevolent Institution or some other charity. The motion was carried.

The A uditora’ salary was fixed at L 25 per year eaeh, with the addition of LlO each should the Waterworks be taken over. It wag mentioned that it at present took the Auditors ten long sittings to go through the Corporation books.

WORK FOR IMMIGRANTS. The Secretary for Lands wrote requesting the Council to co-operate with the Government in furnishing the immigrants with employment till their services were absorbed by the ordinary demand for labor. A discussion ensued in which it was mentioned that the Council, as usual at this time of the year, had dispensed for a time with many of their laborers, and it would be dangerous for the Corporation to give employment simply to relieve the Government of the responsibility it ought to assume. The letter was referred to the Works Committee.

RAILWAY SIDING AT PELICHET BAY,

The Provincial Secretary requested, by letter, that the Council would, With a view to the construction of a siding for goods discharging purposes at Pelichet Bay, cancel the leases of sections required for that purpose.

Referred to the Reserves Committee. works.

The following items were referred to the Works Committee :—A request from Messrs Findlay and Go,, to b.e a'lqwed to lay down a s.ding from the railway to their timber yard ; a complaint from Mr Genever as to the state of the manure dep6t; an offer from Mrs Shand.of her farm at Green Island for a term of years ; a request from Messrs Sparrow and Co. to be allowed to erec, an iron chimney instead of a brick one in their premises on the reclaimed ground ; the state of the footpaths in the hilly parts of the town ; an offer from Mr Lawson of land at Green Island for a manure dep6t, at a rental of L3OO per annum The committee reported that the site for the Baths had been accepted, and recommended that Messrs Hindle and Campbell’s offer to quarry on the Town Belt be declined.

MISCELLANE >US. The Collector of wrote complaining ot the nuisance ‘ caused by the cabs in front of the < 'ustoin-bouse y that the cabmen defaced the building with their knives, impeded the progress of people passing into the building, and occasionally used bad lan guage. Referred to the Bye-laws Committee. MrD, R. Hay, Hon. Sec. to the Scott Scholarship Fund, wrote asking the patronage of the Mayor and Council to a performance to be given by the I'ress Dramatic Club in aid of the fund mentioned. Declined —it being the rule of the Council to give its patronage for charitable purposes only. It was agreed that interest on the debentures given by the Council to the Waterworks shareholders would be made payable in Melbourne and London, as well as in Dunedin.

Jl he questions of the agreement as to the widening of Princes street, the nomination of a member for the Harbor Board, and other important matters, were deferred to a meeting to be held on Wednesday evening next.